Most vehicle seats, particularly in passenger vehicles, are generally provided with adjustment mechanisms to allow the occupant to position the seat for optimal comfort. A vehicle seat typically includes a seat back that is pivotably mounted to a seat bottom. Many vehicle seats also include a recliner mechanism to adjust the angle of the seat back relative to the seat bottom. Vehicle seats can also include mechanisms that allow movement of the seat forward and backward (fore and aft) relative to the floor of the vehicle. To accomplish this, vehicle seats are mounted on seat track assemblies that are in turn supported on the vehicle frame. Seat track assemblies conventionally include an upper seat track and a lower seat track with a low-friction member or surface between the tracks. The seat bottom is typically connected to the upper seat track and can slidably move relative to the lower track by sliding on the low friction surface. The lower seat track is generally fixed to the vehicle frame or floor of the vehicle.
It is common for such vehicle seat adjustment to be accomplished by manually or electronically controlled mechanical devices such as gears, screws, and bell cranks. The limitations of manually controlled seat adjusters is that there are a finite number of positions or stops along a seat track in which the seat can be positioned. These systems also commonly require an individual to reach down to the side or bottom of a seat to activate the release mechanism for adjustment. With electronically controlled systems, a motor generally is used to operate a rack and pinion or gear system to cause movement of the seat. While this system allows for greater distance control than with a manual system, there is still the potential for uneven gear meshing and motor noise.